


necessary for one people

by luthien82



Series: Senator Blaine AU [19]
Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Politics, Angsty Schmoop, M/M, POV Outsider, Wedding Rings, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-02
Updated: 2012-10-02
Packaged: 2017-11-15 11:54:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/527025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luthien82/pseuds/luthien82
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Burt had always imagined that Kurt wouldn’t shy away from an epic, 200+ guest list kind of wedding, held outdoors in a lavish pavilion, with a lot of flowers and a band playing in the background while doves flew into the sky when he said his vows.</p><p>The reality couldn't have been further from that image.</p>
            </blockquote>





	necessary for one people

**Author's Note:**

> A little side note: I went to a wedding of a friend who married his partner. It was a beautiful wedding, but also an inspiring one. See, the thing is? Originally I didn't plan to write this wedding at all, but then we went to see him marry his partner and it was so touching that it just came to me on its own. So, the two girls who were there with me? You'll totally know which parts I'm talking about :)
> 
> Everyone else: I hope you enjoy!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: Glee and its characters are the intellectual property of Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and 20th Century Fox. No profit is made, this has been written purely for fun.

* * *

Burt Hummel was a simple man. He loved simple food (not that he could eat most of it anymore), simple clothes (they were comfortable), sports (nothing better to kick back with than a game of football on the TV) and his job at the garage (sadly not an option for him anymore either).

He also loved his son, and there was nothing simple about him. There never had been, and in all of Burt’s life, Kurt had been the most challenging and most rewarding thing he’d ever accomplished. Kurt was his everything, the one person in the world he never wanted to let down, the one person he’d fought tooth and nail for and always supported and loved unconditionally.

Kurt may have been the least simple thing in his life, but he was also the best thing in it.

Leaving that aside, Burt was surprised by how simple Kurt’s wedding turned out to be.

Burt had always imagined that Kurt wouldn’t shy away from an epic, 200+ guest list kind of wedding, held outdoors in a lavish pavilion, with a lot of flowers and a band playing in the background while doves flew into the sky when he said his vows. And if Kurt would’ve gotten married in his twenties, it might even have happened that way.

As it was, the time between the announcement of his son’s engagement and the actual ceremony was just a little over two months, and Burt was impressed by how much could be accomplished in that short amount of time. Blaine’s best man (that Asian friend of his) and Kurt’s... well, _Rachel_ (because god forbid that anyone take the honor of being Kurt’s best man away from her) had done wonders, organizing the wedding in such a rush. Rachel had probably pulled some strings, international superstar that she was. Nobody could organize something simple yet elegant in that short amount of time without paying out of their nose for it.

He knew they’d hurried the wedding up because of him. He wasn’t stupid, just old and tired and ill. It gave him a twinge of remorse and regret that it was even necessary to make wedding arrangements after _his_ timeline, but there wasn’t much he could do about it.

So yes, not a lot of time to prepare (and probably a lot of changed preferences in Kurt’s case) were responsible for a whole different kind of wedding than Burt had envisioned his son to have. Didn’t mean he wasn’t glad about it; he wasn’t sure he would’ve been able to see a big wedding through, with his declining health and everything.

There were only about forty guests in total, most of them being old highschool friends of both Kurt and Blaine’s. Blaine’s family wasn’t present at all except for his boisterous brother, though Blaine didn’t seem to mind much that his parents had decided to continue their cruise in the Caribbeans instead of coming home to see their son get married. Their absence was made up by Kurt’s family attending, with Burt and Carole and Finn being extra supportive to even out the odds. There were also some colleagues from Washington present, as well as Blaine’s PA and that other kid he knew from high school who’d been a part of his staff for ages (Daniel? Devon? David? Something with a D, anyway).

The ceremony itself was absolutely beautiful.

They were outdoors (at least that part of Kurt’s dream wedding hadn’t changed), under a sunny, blue sky that couldn’t have been more perfect if they’d ordered the weather. There were two blocks of four rows with five seats each, divided by a short aisle of grass leading to a wooden arch. Burt and the rest of the immediate family were set up in the front row with an unobstructed view of the altar sitting under the arch.

According to the hand written itinerary, the “Warblers” (apparently that was Blaine’s former highschool Glee club, according to Finn’s explanation) had come together one more time to send their former soloist away into holy matrimony. They were arranged in a cluster on the right side of the altar, all smartly dressed and ready to go. They started singing the moment the couple appeared at the end of the aisle, hands clasped and glowing with happiness.

They had both opted for simple black tuxedos and white shirts, adorned with a tie (for Kurt) and a bowtie (for Blaine) as well as white orchids on their lapels. Burt was no fashion critic, but to his untrained eye the tuxedos looked expensive and elegant.

Then again, they could’ve gotten the suits at Target for all that he understood about fashion.

Burt stared at Kurt and his son’s soon-to-be husband while they made their way to the front. He’d always imagined that one day he would walk his son down the aisle and give his hand away to his future husband. But these days, he had trouble walking from the living room to the kitchen without his heart beating rapidly in his chest, so that had been out of the question from the get go. He had no idea if Blaine’s dad would’ve wanted to do the same for his own son, but seeing that he wasn’t even here, Burt kind of doubted it.

But it didn’t matter. Instead of their parents giving them away, Blaine’s former friends stepped up to the plate. Judging by Blaine’s delighted face when he and Kurt walked down the aisle together to the sonorous voices, it’d been a surprise to him to be greeted by his former show choir. But it didn’t seem like it was a _bad_ surprise, really. He practically _beamed_ at the group of singing men and Kurt by turns.

When they came to a stop in front of the minister and faced him, they continued holding hands, almost clinging to each other. The minister didn’t seem to mind, just smiled at them and then welcomed everyone to the happy occasion. He talked about love, and partnership and support, then he nodded at Blaine’s best man to take the rings and send them out to the families and friends. He was asking the crowd to touch them and pass their love and affection for the couple on and into the two symbols of matrimony, and while it sounded cheesy, it also touched something in Burt that was reflected in everyone else’s faces as well.

They started on the left, and the minister asked both grooms to say their promises to each other while the rings went on their journey. Kurt and Blaine were both visibly nervous, though god only knew why. They’d known each other for years, knew each other better than they knew themselves sometimes. Burt was watching his son’s eyes go misty when Blaine told him that he’d known Kurt was The One from the minute they’d met, and that he promised to always cherish him and to never stifle him. Burt was a little amused by his wavering voice, but mostly touched. He even cried a little.

Yeah, he admitted it. He could do that in his old age.

He was startled out of his observations when the small, white satin pillow with the rings was held in front of him. He looked down at the two platinum bands nestled on it, held secure by a delicate silver chain binding them together. Remembering the minister’s request, he let his fingers linger on them both for a long time, closed his eyes and wished his son and his soon-to-be son-in-law all the best in the world. He knew his late wife was with him in that moment, knew she was giving her blessing and sending her love as well, and he let it all flow into the rings.

When he was done, Burt handed the pillow over to Carole, blinking away the tears that had gathered in his eyes. With a wobbly smile, he watched his son give his partner the promise he’d written a few days ago in Burt’s living room, telling Blaine that he should never stop surprising Kurt for as long as they lived and that Kurt promised to always love him, no matter how ridiculous he was.

Burt was so glad he was able to see his son, his only child that he loved more than anything in this world, pledge his life and love to another person. A person that Burt knew, in his heart (weak as it was), would cherish and love Kurt back until his last breath. It was everything a parent could wish for, and he knew that Kurt’s mother would have approved.

Kurt and Blaine were both teary eyed by the end of their promises, which made Burt’s chest swell with even more love for them. They said their wedding vows as soon as the rings were back with the minister, and teared up even more while doing it. Their hands shook when they put the rings on each other’s fingers, and Kurt laughed wetly when Blaine couldn’t get it over Kurt’s on the first try. As soon as the minister declared them husband and husband, they smiled at each other like they were the only two people in the world. They kissed, chaste yet with so much feeling and love that Burt felt like he was intruding, and had to avert his eyes to give them privacy. As soon as he did, he caught Carole do the same, and when their eyes met, they shared an understanding little smile. When the applause broke out around them, they joined in enthusiastically.

There might’ve been no doves, but there were soap bubbles from all their friends, blown into the air under lots of laughter and cheers. Kurt and Blaine beamed while they made their way down the aisle and over to the small pavilion housing the dining tables, closely followed by the rest of the wedding party.

They still hadn’t let go of each other’s hands.

There was good food and even better drinks as soon as they sat down. Burt didn’t eat much; couldn’t, really. They’d prepared a dish for him specially, but he wasn’t hungry most of these days. Continuous hospital food did that to your palate. And alcohol was an absolute no-go anyway, but he was quite content with his water and juice.

There were speeches and little anecdotes from their friends in between the courses. Kurt and Blaine glowed, surrounded by so much laughter and happiness and love and affection that it showed not only in their faces, but in their body language as well. They never stopped smiling, their eyes shining brightly and their backs straight and proud. Burt had never been so happy for anyone or anything than he was in that moment while he watched them.

After the food was done and the tables cleared, after people started mingling and talking to each other, Kurt and Blaine were surrounded by people giving them their well wishes and congratulations. Burt had been one of the first. He’d stoically ignored Kurt’s tears and Blaine’s wobbly smile, just patted their backs and told them how proud he was of them both. Then he’d made way for the other guests so they could say their piece.

He caught Kurt and Blaine talking briefly to a couple of young men who’d looked starstruck from the minute the ceremony had started. They were shaking Blaine’s hand enthusiastically and beamed at them both while Burt made his slow way back to his seat. His limbs felt heavy and his chest ached from the little exertion, but it’d been worth it. His chest was acting up a lot recently, baffling his doctors in the process. He knew there wasn’t much time left for him. Hell, he’d gotten three years more than they’d originally thought he would have. He’d made his peace with the facts.

He discovered the time capsule when he was looking for Finn in the crowd, about an hour later. It was almost right next to him on a high table and, now curious, he leaned over and took a closer look at the sign propped up next to the container. It explained the idea of the time capsule, letting Burt know that the intention was to write something, _anything_ , on a card and stuck it into the capsule. The married couple wasn’t allowed to open it until five years from today, and it would hopefully put a smile on their faces when they relived this special day together while reading their friends and families’ well wishes.

The capsule itself was a simple thing, really, just some glass container that you could buy at IKEA. Hell, Carole used them to store her sugar and flour. Someone had converted it by lining the glass walls with white paper, then put a label on the side proclaiming in loopy handwriting that it was the “Time Capsule”, not to be opened until five years from today. A stack of small, cream colored place cards was put next to the container, and a couple of pens laid out as well.

An idea was growing in Burt’s mind while he read the sign.

He knew, just _knew_ in his very bones, that Kurt would take his death hard. Oh, he had no doubts that Blaine would pick him up and put him back together, but he could only do so much. Burt knew his son; he would wallow.

So he took a bunch of cards, grabbed a pen, and started writing. Just small messages like _I poured a lot of love into those rings just to be safe_ and _I will always love you, Kurt_ and _Don’t forget to smile_ and _You will be happy together_. He wrote a bunch of other well wishes and small little anecdotes he hoped would make Kurt laugh when he read them, then put the cards - almost thirty in total - into the glass container and screwed it shut again. They might not open it until five years from today, but Burt had every confidence that it would help nonetheless.

The afternoon morphed into evening, and suddenly it was time to cut the cake. Sensible adults that they were, Kurt and Blaine opted out of shoving cake into each other’s faces, which was probably mostly Kurt’s influence if Burt knew his son at all. Blaine didn’t seem to mind, just took a bite of the cake, then leaned over and kissed his husband. Judging by Kurt’s indulgent and amused face, he didn’t mind in the least.

It grew darker pretty fast after that, and when it was time for their first dance as a married couple, Blaine’s best man and Rachel Berry asked everyone to gather around in a circle while doling out sparklers. Kurt and Blaine got shoved into the middle, laughing at the people surrounding them. Then the same group of men who had sung for Kurt and Blaine before the ceremony, gathered behind the guests. They started singing a slowed down, a capella version of the old B-52’s “Love Shack”, which made both Kurt and Blaine grin so hard at each other that Burt’s own face hurt just by looking at them.

But they slid into each other’s arms seamlessly and started swaying together, talking quietly to each other while the sparklers started burning all around them, encircling them in light like a halo. Burt held two sparklers, just because he could, and he could see quite a few people doing the same while looking at the couple indulgently. Burt smiled at them dancing, and their obliviousness to everything around them by only having eyes for each other. Burt’s chest ached, his heart beating hard and painful, but for once he didn’t give a damn. That was his _son_ , and he looked happier and freer than Burt had ever seen him. This was everything Burt had ever hoped and wished and dreamed for his son to come true.

When the song came to an end, they kissed again, though not quite as chastely as they’d done after being proclaimed married. Burt looked at Carole, at her bright eyes and the shaky smile on her face, and slowly entwined their fingers.

“I’m glad I could see this,” he said quietly, squeezing her hand. “It makes it easier, a little.”

Carole didn’t even pretend not to know what he was talking about. She smiled bravely at him, her eyes growing wetter, and squeezed back. “It’s good to see your child settled and in good hands,” she agreed, letting a tear slip down her cheek. Her gaze drifted over to her own son, who was smiling at the happy couple but was surrounded by an aura of such profound sadness at the same time that it always broke Burt’s heart. Finn hadn’t been so lucky. His heart had been broken so severely that Burt and Carole had always feared he wouldn’t recover from it. But he still had time, still had most of his life in front of him. Maybe one day he would find the person who would make him as happy as Blaine made Kurt.

Burt pulled at Carole’s hand until she fell into his arms and he could kiss her hair. “I love you,” he whispered roughly, his throat closed up with affection and pride and yes, sorrow. He was sad that he wouldn’t be able to be her rock for much longer, that she would have to face life alone once again. They both knew it was just a matter of time for him now, probably better than any of their kids did. They hadn’t told them the whole truth, not wanting to spoil this special day.

But it didn’t matter. Today was a happy occasion, and they _were_ happy. And that, more than anything, was everything Burt had ever wanted for Kurt.


End file.
